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Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria$

By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions. Beyond the confusion surrounding the objectives of the operation, inconsistencies in official statements, and the unclear nature of the targets, the...

Nigeria grapples with end of fuel subsidyF

By Alexandre Martins Lopes: Nigerians are struggling with surging fuel prices after newly elected President Bola Tinubu declared an end to popular subsidies, a move analysts and experts said was long overdue. On his first day in office, Tinubu kept to his campaign...

Boat capsizes in Lagos, several casualtiesF

Posted On 1 August 2020

Lagos, Aug 1, 2020 – Ten people were killed, five rescued and four others went missing when a passenger boat capsized in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, a government agency said on Saturday. The boat was heading to Badagry from the Kirikiri area of the city late Wednesday when it sank in heavy currents, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) said in a statement. “A total of 19 persons were involved in the incident; five were rescued with 10 persons confirmed dead and four passengers still unaccounted for,” the agency said. It said most of the passengers were not wearing life jackets, contrary to maritime safety regulations.

“LASWA has apprehended the boat captain and has handed him over to marine police for further investigation and sanctions,” it said. “The emergency and regulatory authorities are still on a search and rescue operation,” it added. Boat accidents are common in Nigeria because of over-loading, disregard of safety guidelines, lack of maintenance and bad weather. Last month, dozens of passengers were killed when their overcrowded boat capsized in the central Benue state. A day earlier, seven people had died in Ikorodu, outside Lagos, when their boat sank following heavy rains.

AFP

Recent News from Nigeria

Nigeria Adjusts Airstrike Strategy Under Expanded U.S. Security Cooperation$

Nigeria is modifying how it conducts air operations against armed groups under a revised security arrangement with the United States. The new framework places greater emphasis on U.S. intelligence and reconnaissance support while shifting operational responsibility to Nigerian forces. The approach reflects Abuja’s effort to balance external assistance with domestic control amid ongoing security challenges in the country’s northwest.

Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria$

The U.S. airstrikes carried out in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day have triggered confusion and skepticism across the region. Conflicting statements from Washington and Abuja, uncertainty over the identity of the targeted groups, and reports from strike locations where no militants were found have raised serious questions about the operation’s objectives. In an already fragile security environment, the lack of clarity risks adding instability rather than addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

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